James Cochran aka Jimmy C

His two interests in graffiti and oil painting converged, leading to the development of Cochran’s signature aerosol pointillist style; portraits or urban landscapes painted entirely from blobs of spray paint.

We are so happy and honored to have him today with us on GET OUT!

When did it all begin? And how did you first become interested in street art/graffiti?

It was about 1988 when I started to take notice the tags and pieces along the train line where I lived in Australia and I started to become involved.

Which artist/s influenced you?

Back then I was mostly influenced by the artists who were doing things on the railway lines in my city, and they were Rank, Phoa, and Plea. Then from New York I was influenced by artists such as Dondi and Lee.

What style is your work?

My style developed from graffiti lettering, and then to an interest in figurative painting with oil paint, and now I make images of out dots or drips and layers with the spray can.

Are there any particular cultures that have influence your artwork?

I was involved in many community arts projects in Australia and I had collaborated with some aboriginal artists who work with dots. This had an influence on me, then most of the other influences came from the figurative tradition in western art.

What is the source of your inspiration these days?

I would use the word connection, meaning our connection to the world and to each other. Science and spirituality are starting to converge and many of these ideas are coming through in my artwork.

What do your pieces usually focus on?

The human subject is often depicted, along with their relationship to their environment.

What is the riskiest thing you have ever done?

As a teenager many of the things I did were a risk, such as painting trains and surfing trains to name a few.

Are you generally satisfied with your finished piece?

Sometimes.

Do you listen to music while working? Or you need a quite environment?

I listen to music often when I paint, both in the studio and on the street.

Where your work is usually located?

I travel quite a lot, but most of it takes place in London.

Do you find it difficult to do your work in the streets?

Yes painting on the street is always full of challenges such as the format of the wall, the weather conditions, and the interactions from the public whilst you are painting.

Have you ever had any problems with authority cause of your work?

Quite a few times, and I was almost arrested recently in Paris for painting a wall.

Do you have a formal art education?

Yes, I did a 4 year degree in Visual Arts and then another 2 years for a Masters degree.

If YES! Do you feel that you benefited from it?

It helped me a lot with the theoretical side to painting and the context of painting in relation to its history and the world we live in today. In terms of technical support for painting, I did not learn a lot in my studies, and I still consider myself a self-taught painter.

Would you rather paint alone? Or do you prefer collaborate with others?

I prefer to paint alone, but open to the idea of collaboration from time to time.

Have you every collaborated with other artists?

The last collaboration I did was with Sliks in Sao Paulo. We combined our styles and painted a portrait of the Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector. The wall was organised by Instagrafite who are also based in Sao Paulo.

What do you see as the future of street art / graffiti?

The street will continue to be a platform of expression available to everyone.

How do you feel about photographers / bloggers in the scene?

They are out there documenting our work, and sharing it, so they are helping and contributing to the culture in their own way.